1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus including display control means that causes display means to perform information display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital cameras and other image pickup apparatuses (information processing apparatuses) are often equipped with touch panels disposed on their monitors, which are used as input devices for users. By using a touch panel, operation buttons and the like can be displayed in comparatively large sizes on a monitor, and a user can perform an input operation by softly touching the touch panel with a fingertip, which provides excellent operability.
However, if a touch panel is disposed on a back side monitor of an image pickup apparatus, when a user looks through an optical viewfinder, his/her nose may contact the touch panel, which may cause an unintended input.
In order to prevent such trouble, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 09-43666 discloses a technique for an image pickup apparatus. To prevent unintended input, the image pickup apparatus includes a specific operation member disposed in a position different from the position of a touch panel and accepts touch panel input by a user only when the user operates the operation member.
However, with an image pickup apparatus according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 09-43666, when a user wants to perform touch panel input, the user has to operate the specific operation member as well as perform input using the touch panel, which is burdensome and inconvenient for the user.
In order to reduce burden on a user, an image pickup apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-59984 includes a viewfinder having an eye detector that detects whether a user's eye is close to the viewfinder, and disables touch panel input when the eye detector detects an eye.